Somewhere Between Angels and Insects
by sweetkiwi604
Summary: When civilization falls you find out who you really are, who is going to be there when the world goes to hell and that sometimes it the midst of it all you learn to trust again. Sister fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with the Walking Dead only Daisy (Ace) belongs to me.**

**So I just recently stumbled across this amazing show and completely fell in love with it so I decided to write my own fic. I know there are thousands of stories out there but I promise mine will always be original. Things will happen out of order only because I believe it will work better for this story. Rated M for language and situations. 'Walking Dead' will represent a break in time.**

**Any suggestions/comments/critiques are all welcome!**

Chapter 1

It felt like it had been a different lifetime since the last time I walked down the streets of Atlanta. Being a waitress at one of the diners on the outskirts of town wasn't my dream job but it was better than what was waiting for me at home. I was used to pushing through the never ending crowds to get to work and dealing with the countless, unruly customers all day long. Now it was eerily silent and now more than ever I had to keep my wits about me. There were walkers everywhere and I was down to a mere two bullets. I could almost hear my eldest brother's voice in my head belittling me for not paying more attention when he had tried to teach me the ins and outs of survival. Clearly I had paid enough attention or I wouldn't have made it this far.

I readjusted the small bag on my back and kept a firm hold on my hunting knife. It wasn't as long as I would have liked, meaning I had to get even closer to the geeks, but it was the best I had at the moment. The risk of using one of the only bullets I had left would have been suicidal alerting the whole city that I was there.

Something had definitely caught the walkers attention as they all seemed to be grouped together on one side of the town. I wasn't going to complain though as I crept along side of one of the buildings and into what used to be a coffee shop. Annoyance flooded through me when I tried the tap and no water came out. I needed something, anything, to quench my thirst or I wouldn't make it much further.

I slid to the floor a minute hiding myself behind the counter in case a walker decided to get nosey. Any one else would have given up, being alone in the world for months now, but here I sat reminding myself that I had to fight for the right to live; to survive. I wasn't exactly brought up in the environment that would allow me to just roll over and die.

The silence of this new post-apocalyptic world was deafening. I longed for the day I could once again get lost in my blaring music for a few hours. My ears were now on hyper alert listening for the slightest shuffle of feet or the low growl that would ultimately try to make me its lunch. When I reopened my eyes I shuffled around the drawers behind the counter looking for anything useful.

There was a time when I wouldn't think twice about breaking the register open and cleaning it out. Money had no value in this new world though. It didn't matter if you were a millionaire or dirt poor. The dead were coming for us all.

I downed an unopened bottle of water that I had found and a couple stale biscuits. It wasn't the most appetizing but beggars couldn't be choosers and it would have to do until I could get back to the woods and hunt. I really had to find a sporting goods store to loot. I needed bullets, but more importantly, I needed a crossbow; something that would be able to take walkers out at a distance without making so much noise.

I moved slowly, each step calculated and purposeful, as I made my way out of the coffee shop and into the next building. Material things never held much meaning to me but I was happy to see that I had stepped into a clothing store. I stripped out of my shirt that was being held together by shreds before pulling a tank top over my head and grabbing a light jacket to put over top.

"You heard me!"

I froze in my spot not moving a muscle. It had been at least two weeks since I had any contact with another human being. That one had not worked out so well and I wasn't ready to go through that again. I went to leave the building when I heard the voice again.

"You can kiss my lily white ass."

Curiosity had gotten the best of me and I placed a cautious hand on my knife as I made my way further into the store and up a flight of stairs. I could hear his voice again, my eldest brother, cussing at me for giving two shits about someone else.

When I got to the top of the stairs the door had been chained closed and locked. I was able to push it open enough for me to see through. It didn't look like other containment places that walkers had been held up in. They would have been all over the door as soon as I appeared. I had to be sure though and gave the door a quick kick with my foot and stood back waiting to hear the growls.

Silence once again met my ears except for some incoherent mumbling. Whoever was on this roof was alive and that's all I needed to know. I took the lock pick out of my bag and worked on the lock. The chain slid to the ground with loud clanking noise and I grabbed my gun from the small of my back. Walkers were predictable, they only wanted one thing and that was to destroy you, eat you alive. Humans were another story. My mind wandered back to the last guy I ran into and I cocked my gun before kicking the door open with my foot.

"You ain't goin' to eat me, fuckers," a familiar voice snarled as I made my way onto the roof.

I dropped my arm with a sigh as I saw the man handcuffed. "You've gotta be shittin' me."

"Well ain't that a bitch," he laughed.

"And here I thought you'd know how to get out of cuffs by now, been in them enough, haven't you?" I questioned pulling my lock pick back out of my bag and squatting down next to him to free his hand. "How'd you get like this?"

The cuffs were free and he stood rubbing his raw wrist. "Damn nigger dropped the key. They left me here to die like a damn animal."

"They?"

**Walking Dead**

We had taken a truck after siphoning gas from a few surrounding cars to make sure the tank was as full as possible. I was filled in about the camp and what had happened on the roof. He didn't ask about where I had been or what I had been doing and I certainly didn't offer up the information. By the time he put the truck in park my blood was boiling.

"Didn't think you would see ol' Merle again, did you Officer Friendly?" He took a swing at the man before some guy with dark curly hair restrained him in a chokehold.

My eyes landed on the only black man in camp and I wasted no time in taking a swing at him myself. I might not have done much damage but the anger in me wanted to hit him repeatedly. That was until someone had their arm snaked around my middle and pulled me back.

"Better keep better control of your whores, Merle," the curly haired man warned as he set me back on my feet but kept an arm around me making sure I couldn't go towards the black man again.

"One wrong move douche bag and you'll end up with a knife in your ass," I growled elbowing him hard in the stomach to let me go.

"She'll do it too," that voice was like music to my ears but the only smile that could be seen was in my eyes. "Ace knows better than to take some guys shit."

"How do you know?" Curly man questioned as he threw daggers in my direction.

"'Cause I taught her, jackass," Daryl replied walking over to us with a crossbow strapped to his back. "And you're going to want to choose your words more carefully."

Officer Friendly stepped up in front of me with his hand out trying to smooth things over. "Looks like we got off to the wrong start, let's try this again. I'm Rick."

I glanced down at his hand before meeting his eyes, "Ace."

He got the hint that I wasn't going to be shaking anyone's hand and he gave a slight nod. He looked over to curly haired man and introduced him as Shane before ushering him away.

"Shit Daisy, thought you was dead," Daryl stated once it was just the three of us again.

I cringed hearing my name. I hadn't heard it in so long I had almost forgotten that Ace was just a nickname. Daryl was the only one I ever allowed to call me by my given name.

"Only thing that can kill a Dixon is a Dixon."

I didn't miss the smirk that played on Merle's lips or the slight concern that flashed through Daryl's eyes but both were easily ignored.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with the Walking Dead only Daisy (Ace) belongs to me**

**Quick thank you to my good friend wandertogondor who without her encouragement I probably would have never posted this story. I do go between General point of view and Daisy's point of view each part is labeled though I hope it doesn't get too confusing.**

**Any suggestions/comments/critiques are all welcome!**

Chapter 2

**General Point of View.**

It had been three days since Merle showed up at the camp with Daisy. Daryl would never admit it but he felt a weight lift off his shoulders the second he saw the scowl on her face as Shane held her back from T-Dog. He thought back to the beginning, when the dead started turning on the living, and remembered the sense of urgency that built within him. Merle and Daryl had packed up the truck and was on their way to Atlanta, they were going to stop off at Daisy's apartment pick her up and then head to the refugee center.

Daryl lifted his eyes from the squirrel he had been skinning and watched as his sister strode past him without giving him a second look. He didn't bother to follow her, he figured she was headed down to the lake, but it didn't stop his mind going into overdrive. He thought about the moment they saw the helicopters flying overhead before they watched Atlanta get bombed. Any hope he had was destroyed yet here she was brought back to him by fate.

He wondered how she survived at all, she had been hunting with the brothers more than a handful of times but she wasn't the best tracker and she would just as easily eat a poisonous berry not knowing the difference. Her hair was shorter than he had ever seen it, falling just to her jaw line and she had dark circles under her eyes like she hadn't slept in ages. Daryl felt guilty that he hadn't tried to find her that he hadn't tried to protect her and as the feeling intensified he threw his knife into a nearby log in frustration before storming off into the woods with his crossbow.

***Flashback***

"_Go on, get," Mrs. Dixon shooed her kids out the door to play outside for awhile so she could have some peace and quiet._

_Merle climbed a nearby tree and chucked a few pinecones at people as they passed by. Wanting to follow in his brother's footsteps Daryl climbed the tree next to it and sat on the branch. Daisy, however, being only four years old wasn't able to climb and it took everything she had just to keep up with her brothers._

_Daisy sat happily in the dirt drawing designs with her finger until a neighborhood boy ran into her when he wasn't watching where he was going. Daisy hadn't learned that Dixon's don't cry yet and the second her bottom lip started to quiver Merle was out of his tree and running after the boy threatening to punch his face in._

"_You alright?" Daryl asked his sister as he crouched down to her level and brushed some dirt off her chubby cheeks._

_She meekly nodded before a smile broke out across her face making her eyes twinkle, "D, wanna play wit' me?"_

***Present***

Daryl would have given almost anything to go back to those days. Things were simpler back then but that was before their mother fell asleep with a lighted cigarette in her hand and burned to death in her own bed. Merle had been in and out of the juvenile detention center while their father was often sleeping off the latest bender but nothing broke Daisy's spirit. He didn't know how she did it, especially with their upbringing, but she found the positive in any situation.

But that was then, now he wasn't sure if he'd ever see the smile on her face, her eyes were distant and cold and that unnerved him to no end.

**Daisy's Point of View**

I sat at the edge of the lake pouring the tepid water over my arms to wash away as much dirt and grime as I could. It was hard settling into camp, it was like their own little community, and they had a false sense of security. There was always someone on 'watch' for walkers no matter what time of day it was but my ears had become so in tuned to the things around me that every time someone rolled over in their sleeping bag or their feet crunched a leaf as they walked past the tent I was awake and on alert.

I sighed in annoyance as I saw Andrea and Amy coming down to the lake with some fishing gear. I had gotten used to being alone; taking care of myself but this group of people relied on each other.

"Hey, Lori could really use some help picking berries," Andrea stated as she and Amy set the small boat in the water. I glanced over in her direction but said nothing as I used the bottom of my shirt to dry my arms. I got up and started walking towards the edge of the woods when I heard her mutter something to Amy about wishing I had never joined their group.

"Where you going, sunshine?" Merle asked, his eyes glazed over as he kept sniffing.

It amazed me how the apocalypse was upon on us and yet he still found a way to get high. I used to wonder why he did it, if he felt responsible for how Daryl and I were raised after our mother died or if he just didn't know how to deal with the situation himself.

"If you're looking for something to do, Merle, go fuck bitch tits over there," I motioned with my head to where Andrea was in the boat before making my way further into the woods.

Finally getting away from the group of people I felt like I could breathe again in the open for the first time since I arrived. I closed my eyes a minute trying to collect my thoughts when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Instinct took over as I whipped around ready to punch, what I assumed to be a walker, but my wrist was caught in a firm grip.

"Shit, Daryl," I cussed ripping my hand out of his grasp. "Make some noise next time or something. What the hell are you doing?"

"Shopping," he replied sarcastically. He was quiet for a minute and I thought he might have heard an animal moving around, he always did pick up on the little things that most missed, but instead he kept his crossbow hanging loosely in his hand. "What happened to you?" He asked softly, his eyes scanning over my face as if I was some puzzle to figure out.

***Flashback***

_It was all over the television and radio some kind of virus had infected the populated city. Fear had set in and parents started keeping their children home from school and the diner had been getting fewer customers. Then hysteria broke out when the dead came back, ripping their loved ones apart without a second thought, and the military stepped in._

_Daisy knew it was going to happen; she had paid close attention to the news and had left work early to head to her apartment. She grabbed a bag from closet and packed it with a few essentials that she had like an old hunting knife Daryl had given her, her lock pick set, a few bottles of water, a change of clothes and the only other food she had, a box of crackers. _

_The traffic going into the city was intense and in a grid lock but she drove past them going in the opposite direction away from the city. She had to get to her father and her brothers and then they would find a way to a refugee center. The plan was so simple in her mind but it didn't stop her heart from nearly beating out of her chest in worry. Her foot pressed the gas pedal even harder as she rounded the corner of the street her childhood home sat on._

_It looked deserted and was eerily quiet but she refused to leave without looking for her family. She stopped the car and didn't bother turning it off as she ran inside._

"_Daryl! Merle!" Daisy shouted at the top of her lungs running from room to room. "Daryl!"_

_She had cleared the first floor and run up the stairs to check the bathroom and her parents room when she heard the sound that made her stomach turn. It sounded as if their father was watching a horror movie with the screams that were coming from his room._

"_Dad?" she called out carefully as she made her way down the hallway towards the bedroom but got no reply._

_Her hands shook as she opened the door and she gagged as she saw her father with blood dripping off his chin. The flavor of the week had been made into his snack as he tore her stomach apart. But now there was a new meal and he advanced on his youngest child._

_Daisy couldn't help the scream that escaped as she turned to run; she made it down the stairs before her father grabbed the back of her shirt pulling her closer to his hungry teeth. She kicked and fought him off anyway she could, she finally got free of his grasp but he kept coming for her. Anything she could get her hands on was thrown at her father trying to slow him down; pictures off the wall, an old baseball, and even a small bookcase. _

"_Merle!" She screamed again praying that he would come save her. "Daryl, help me!"_

_Her father chased her into the kitchen where she grabbed the biggest knife she could find and swung it at him, catching him in the arm but it didn't faze him. She lost her concentration for a brief minute as tears rolled down her cheeks and blurred her vision. In that one moment her father had knocked her to the ground and the knife slid across the tiled floor._

"_Dad, stop, please," she begged as she kicked him off of her and scrambled towards the knife. _

_Her father growled and caught her foot but with her fingers stretched as far as they could go she could just touch the bottom of the knife. Daisy carefully inched it towards her until she could grab it in her hand and in one swift movement she sat up and stabbed her father through the eye._

_The contents of her stomach emptied on the floor and she fall back resting her head against one of the cabinets trying to slow her ragged breathing. _

_After some time she pulled herself off the floor and went back upstairs to where she knew her father kept his gun. She shot the woman in the head who was still screaming in agonizing pain before walking out the front door and heading back towards Atlanta._

***Present***

I scoffed thinking about everything I had been through, "Didn't you hear? World's gone to shit."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with the Walking Dead only Daisy (Ace) belongs to me**

**Any suggestions/comments/critiques are all welcome!**

Chapter 3

"Fish is about ready if you'd like to come over and join us," Dale offered with a smile as he motioned to where the rest of the group was sitting around the campfire. He was easily ignored as I continued to try and sort through some berries I had found in the woods earlier that day. I heard him sigh deeply before he patted me on the shoulder, "Offer stands whenever you are ready."

I rolled my eyes and went back to the small bucket in front of me. I tried to remember what Merle had taught me when he first took me out into the woods almost seventeen years ago but I kept coming up blank.

***Flashback***

"_Hey runt, get over here," Merle called to me from where I was sitting on the front steps trying to enjoy the sun._

"_What?" I all but whined as I got up and stomped my way over to him while crossing my arms._

"_Someone didn't take their Midol this morning," he laughed as he tossed me a shotgun that I barely caught. "C'mon, time you learn how to get dinner and not just cook it."_

_We spent all day stalking through the woods, little conversation was had except for him pointing out certain things like which berries were alright to eat and how to recognize the different poisons like ivy, oak and sumac. I tried my best to concentrate on what he was saying but at twelve years old my mind couldn't help but wander. It wasn't until we were perched in a tree that I completely blocked out any words of instruction and criticism as I watched a spider float back and forth between branches to spin its web._

_Merle nudged my knee unexpectedly and I almost fell. I turned to give him an earful when he held a single finger to his lips and pointed to a deer about two hundred feet away. I nodded and waited for him to take the shot but nothing happened. The confusion must have been written across my face because I heard him let out a huff in annoyance._

"_Bambi ain't going to shoot itself," he barely whispered in my ear. I was about to reply when it finally sunk in what he was saying; he wanted me to shoot it. I raised the gun and rested it against my shoulder as I carefully cocked it and waited a second to make sure I didn't spook the animal. I closed one eye, lined up my shot, prepared myself for the kickback, and ghosted my finger over the trigger. "Don't miss." I fired my shot and for the first time since our mother died I saw a genuine smile spread across Merle's face. "Not bad…for a girl."_

***Present***

I was just about to pop a berry in my mouth when out of no where Daryl's hand appeared and smacked it away.

"What are you tryin' to do, kill yourself?!" he exclaimed before he sat down on an overturned milk crate a few feet away. "Don't know how you survived this long," he muttered under his breath but loud enough for me to hear him before he put some squirrel on a stick to cook over our small personal fire.

"Where's mister pharmacy?" I asked as I went back to picking through my berries.

"Give me that," he grabbed the bucket and shoved the stick in my hand, "you cook the meat, I'm not waking up tomorrow and not be able to move half of my body like some retard."

I couldn't help the small smile that spread across my face at the thought, "Seriously, where is he, it's dark already."

He nodded towards the woods, "wandered off that way a few hours ago."

"With any luck he got lost," I heard someone mumble from the group's circle.

My jaw clenched shut as I tried to contain my temper, I saw Daryl glance over to the group with an unimpressed look on his face but other than that he kept picking through the berries.

"He's probably too high to find his way back," the same voice continued this time not bothering to be quiet about it, "Dixons don't look out for anyone but themselves…dirty hicks."

I'd heard enough as I strode over to the group and pushed my way through until I was in the middle of the circle. Shane rose to his feet with his hands on his hips and a stupid grin on his face. "Something you have to say, sweetheart?"

My eyes never left his, I wasn't going to be easily intimidated, I couldn't afford to be again. "You act tough now 'cause blondie figured out how to catch a couple fish but if it wasn't for my brothers you would be eatin' a whole lot of canned beans. And how do you repay him? By handcuffing his ass to a roof!"

"Ace," Daryl warned and I knew I was being reckless being so loud but my temper had gotten the best of me. I took a deep breath in through my nose to calm myself down and I started to walk back towards where my brother had risen to his feet when I heard Shane chuckling.

"Such an obedient little girl."

***Flashback***

"_You call this dinner?" my father yelled as he picked up his plate and threw it across the room. "You couldn't even feed this to an animal." I flinched when the plate made contact with the linoleum floor and shattered. "Make me something else." _

_Without a word I started shuffling through the refrigerator to see what else we had that I could make him. I should have known better than to turn my back on him, especially when both brothers were out, and the second I reached in to grab the leftovers I felt a sharp burning pain on my back. He hit me four more times with the cord before placing the lamp back on the side table. I held in my tears, tears only brought more pain, as I dished him up a new plate and sat it front of him._

"_That's my obedient little girl," he slurred taking another swing from his bottle of whiskey and patting me on the cheek._

***Present***

Something inside of me snapped as I whipped back around and pointed my gun straight at his face which had faltered for the first time since I had met him. Rick was on his feet in a flash along with T-Dog and I could feel Daryl's gaze boring into my back.

"Didn't know this conversation required firearms," Shane tried to keep control of the situation but his words didn't fool me as I saw a wave of uncertainty pass through his eyes.

Rick had his hands up in front of him as if to show he wasn't a threat, "Let's just put that down and I'm sure Shane would be happy to apologize for making any comments about your family."

"Yeah," Shane nodded with a smirk, "I'm sorry your brother cares more about getting stoned…"

I didn't even let him finish his statement as I moved my gun to the ground and fired a shot close enough to his foot that it made him stumble back in shock.

"Keep running your mouth and next time I won't miss," I snarled as I pushed my way out of the circle and stormed off in the direction Merle had gone.

Daryl caught my elbow as I walked past him, "shouldn't be out in the woods alone," he whispered but his concern was ignored as I easily moved out of his grasp and kept walking.

I couldn't get my father's voice out of my head, it was like on an endless loop of snide comments and harsh words. The scars on my back ached as if they were fresh and though it was dark I pressed on. I had to keep moving, keep walking, and with any hope I would to stumble upon Merle. It would take all the strength I had to drag him back to camp but I would no doubt do it. I had pulled him out of numerous bars and this wouldn't be any different.

***Flashback***

_I had received a phone call from Paul, the owner of the bar in town, that Merle had passed out in one of the booths. It was two in the morning and I wanted nothing more than to be peacefully sleeping but I knew Paul was doing our family a huge favor by calling me instead of the cops. The last thing Merle needed was to have another charge of drunk and disorderly on his record._

_I was worn out physically and mentally. Apparently, my father thought that it was a disgrace for a woman to drink and when he came home to see me enjoying a beer he smashed the bottle against my bare legs. I spent the rest of the night in the bathroom picking out the shards of glass before I bandaged myself up and put on a pair of jeans on to cover it up._

_I ran a hand through my hair as I walked in the smoke filled bar already anticipating a fight when I spotted Merle sprawled out in one of the booths. I ignored the cat calls and comments from the drunken assholes of our town._

"_Merle," I sat down next to him and patted his check to try and wake him up. If he wasn't at least semi-conscious there was no way I would be able to get him out of here on my own. "C'mon jackass," I hit him harder and this time his eyes fluttered open._

_He sat up and looked around, "Closin' time?"_

"_Yeah," I half smiled, "Time to go pass out at home."_

_Merle had a sloppy grin on his face and I knew he had something besides alcohol in his system. He patted my knee and I had to bit my bottom lip so I didn't scream out in pain. "Such a good girl. Remember, sunshine, ain't no one going to take care of you like I do."_

_I nodded as his arm was draped around my shoulders and with a few stumbles we finally made it out to the truck. I thanked God when we got home that Daryl pulled up at the same time we did because I wasn't sure I would be able to get him in the house._

"_What'd he take?" Daryl grunted as he took most of Merle's weight and we made our way towards the house trying to be as quiet as possible so we wouldn't wake our father._

"_I don't know."_

_Once we got inside and got him on the couch Daryl motioned to my pant leg and when I looked down I noticed that I was bleeding through the bandages. "There a fight tonight?"_

_I sighed in relief when I realized he thought it was someone's from the bar and not my own. I loved both my brothers with everything I had but Daryl would have never forgiven himself if he knew this had happened when he wasn't home._

***Present***

The sky was clear and though the trees kept most of the woods dark the moon shone through enough for something shiny to catch my eye. With gun still in hand I walked closer and crouched down to see what it was. My breath caught in my throat as I saw the dog tags Merle wore around his neck. They had been given to him by my father once he turned eighteen with the instruction that he was now a man and had to take care of the family.

I picked them up and frantically searched the surrounding area with a growing fear. I had never seen him under any circumstances take them off.

Something was very wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with the Walking Dead only Daisy (Ace) belongs to me**

**Big thank you to my biggest supporter and unofficial beta wandertogondor!**

**Any suggestions/comments/critiques are all welcome!**

Chapter 4

Somewhere in my subconscious I knew the smart thing to do would be to go back and get Daryl. We would be able to cover more ground if the two of us were looking for Merle together especially since he was a better tracker than me but I pressed on with fear and concern clouding my judgment.

"Merle," I loudly whispered praying he would be able to hear me though I had a sinking feeling growing in the pit of my stomach that he wouldn't. That's when I heard it, a single twig snapping off to my left. I froze for a moment and shoved the dog tags in my jeans pocket just in case I needed my hands free. "Merle?"

If I could only be so lucky, instead of some degrading sarcastic comment from my eldest brother that I was almost praying for by now my answer was a hungry growl. I immediately aimed my gun and shot what I assumed to be a lone walker in the head only I had been very wrong and foolish as more appeared drawn closer to me by the sudden loud noise. There was a fleeting moment when I was torn at what to do; I could try and stand my ground, take out as many walkers as possible or I could run back to camp for much needed backup but that would also mean putting the others at risk. The decision was made for me when the sound of multiple gunshots were heard from the direction I had come from and I ran as fast as I could back to camp taking out the ones I could along the way.

***Flashback***

_I had been on my own for two weeks when I had gotten myself into some real trouble. Taking out walkers wasn't that bad when you were one on one, they didn't seem as enraged and it was easier when you didn't have to worry about another one sneaking up behind you, but it was a different story when they roamed in small groups. I was out in the woods trying to find some kind of animal so I could feed my hungry stomach when I first heard the disgruntled growl._

_I crouched behind a tree almost praying that if I stood still enough it would stumble past me and I could go on about my hunting but I had been fooled by thinking there would be only one. Two more came from the left side and my breath caught in my throat. This was it, I was going to die. _Climb the tree you idiot, get leverage on them, and shoot the bastards_, I heard my eldest brother's voice echoing in my head but I was barely tall enough to grab onto the lowest branch. Luckily, there was a large rock next to the tree and I used it as a stepstool so I could grab the branch. I tried pushing myself up but I had drawn attention to myself and one of the walkers grabbed my right leg before I could pull it all the way up._

"_No, no, no," I screamed shaking my leg as hard as I could while still trying to pull myself up onto the branch. Just as the walker was about to take a bite out of me the boots I had been wearing came off causing the walker to fall to the ground giving me the opportunity to get to a higher branch._

_Once safely in the tree I shot each of them in the head taking out any immediate danger but ended up spending the night up on that branch anyway too terrified to get down._

***Present***

The last couple of days I had been complaining about being with a group but for the first time I was thankful I was not alone.

**General Point of View**

Daryl had gone back to cooking the squirrel after Daisy stalked off into the woods. She was a Dixon after all and once they had their minds set there was little, if anything, anyone could do to change it. He couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride that after all this time and being on her own she had survived.

The rest of the group continued on with their fish fry until Amy broke the silence, "Do you really think it's a bright idea to piss off the Dixons?"

"You're defending Merle?" Andrea questioned in disbelief.

Amy shook her head, "No, but pissing them off doesn't really sound like a good thing to do."

"Didn't say anything that wasn't true and if you ask me," Shane answered looking over to Rick almost like he was trying to plant a seed in his friend's head. "She's a danger to this camp."

"Now, I don't believe that," Dale spoke up ready to take a defensive stand. He was a special kind of man that had the ability to see a person for who they really were instead of the shell they presented to the rest of the world. "I'm pretty sure that if Amy was being insulted Andrea would stand up to whoever it was. Same thing goes for Lori, Rick and Carl. I'm not saying she went about it correctly but she did the right thing standing up for her family. Any one of us would have."

"I like her," Sophia whispered to Carol, "She's not afraid."

Carol gave her a sad smile as she ran a hand through the girl's short hair. This wasn't the life she wanted for her poor Sophia and she thought about her husband laying bruised and bloodied back in their tent. The world had been an evil sadistic place before the virus hit and now, well now hadn't been any easier.

Amy excused herself to use the bathroom in Dale's RV and conversation resumed around the fire until she came out asking for more toilet paper. Before anyone could answer a scream pierced the air as a walker bit into the young girl's arm. Daryl had his hand on his crossbow the second the scream erupted from the other side of the camp. He skillfully shot it in the head and as he got closer to where the rest of the group was even more walkers could be seen making their way up the small hill.

Chaos ensued as the group tried to defend their camp. Rick had tossed Daryl a gun since there were so many and he couldn't get the crossbow reloaded in time. Everything was happening at once; screams of people getting eaten, gunfire, the growls of walkers and the hope that they would make it out alive.

Daryl only had one thing on his mind, or one person rather, as he took down walker after walker. There almost seemed to be no end in sight and he felt a weight lift from his chest as he saw his sister running towards the group taking down her fair share as well.

**Daisy's Point of View**

The gun quickly ran out of bullets and in one fluid motion I let it fall to the ground as my hand pulled the knife out of my belt. Rick shouted for all of us to go towards the RV but I barely heard him over the deafening noise of the gunfire. I took out a couple walkers that got too close but I left the rest for the people still with guns.

My mind was only on survival until I saw a familiar face laying with his back against the ground and using his shotgun to keep the walker's hungry teeth away. I hate to admit but for a brief moment I thought about leaving him behind but I couldn't bring myself to be that cold hearted. So, I stepped up beside the walker and put my hand on its shoulder for leverage as I jammed the knife through the back of its skull before rolling it to the side.

Shane looked a mix between relief and shock that I was the one who came to his rescue. I didn't wait to help him up or even to see if he was alright, my conscious was clear.

**The Next Day**

No one had slept that night, half the camp had been wiped out, and while most mourned their dead I worked silently making sure the walkers were put down as I kept an eye out for the gun I had dropped.

"He dead?" Daryl walked over to where I had just finished bashing in a walker's skull to make sure it wouldn't wake up when someone went to move it to the fire. I hit the walker in the head one more time with the sledgehammer I had been given before I nodded. Daryl rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head a little, "Not who I was talkin' bout."

It hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized he was talking about Merle and after a deep breath I pulled the dog tags out of my pocket, "found these last night before things went to shit."

Daryl just gave me an impermeable nod, "Hey, Asian get over here."

"I'm Korean," Glenn corrected as he helped Daryl drag the rather large walker over to the fire.

Once they had moved his body I saw my gun and quickly placed it in the small of my back. I'd have to get more bullets for it but there was something comforting about having it with me though for the life of me I would never quite figure out why.

***Flashback***

_Mom had died a few months ago, Merle was doing his first stint in the juvenile detention center, and dad was going off the deep end._

_D3aryl had moved up to the middle school so this was my first year being in elementary school without the safety of my brothers. I waited on the sidewalk in front of my school where Daryl had told me to wait from him to walk me home since a few of the neighborhood boys had started bothering me but he never showed. I was filled with a horrible feeling as I walked home alone; he had forgotten me._

_I was wrong though and as I walked through the front door I heard an awful whipping noise. Curiously, I inched around the corner to see my father hitting Daryl repeatedly across his chest with a leather belt. I don't even know what Daryl had done, it could have been something as simple as looking at our father the wrong way, but no one hurt my brothers even if that person was my own blood. I spotted dad's gun on the counter and without thinking I grabbed it._

"_Stop!" I shouted as I aimed the gun at my father with shaky hands._

_My dad paused for a moment as his gaze shifted to me, like he realized for the first time I was even in the room, before letting out a boisterous laugh. "Whatcha goin' to do, shoot you're ol' man?" I hadn't thought that far, I just wanted him to stop him from hurting Daryl and I stood there like a deer in headlights my whole body trembling with fear as he took a couple steps towards me. "Give me that," he snarled, snatching the gun from my hand before hitting me across the face with the butt of the gun. "You need to learn your place, little girl."_

_Once my father had stormed out of the house, most likely to head to the liquor store, Daryl made his way over to where I was sitting on the floor still shaking with fear ignoring his own wounds to make sure I was alright. _

_That was the one and only time I had ever stood up to my father._

***Present***

Somewhere along the course of the day Rick and Shane decided that the group was going to try the C.D.C. for answers and the hope of a more secure shelter. I didn't think too much about it until I saw Daryl taking down his tent and packing it in the back of his truck.

"You're leavin'?" I questioned angrily.

He walked passed me to start packing up the rest of our things, "_We're_ leavin'." He corrected.

"Why 'cause a cop told you to?" I scoffed and started taking my things out of the back of the truck. "Go on if that's what you want but I ain't leavin' here without Merle."

Daryl took my stuff and threw it back in the bed of the truck and motioned with his head to the ropes that held Merle's motorcycle in place. "I'll tie you down if I have to but you're going."

"And how pissed is he going to be when he finds out we left him here alone to die," I snapped but Daryl was unfazed by my anger and all but picked me up and set me in the cab of the truck.

We rode in silence for a half hour as we brought up the rear of our line of cars. My anger still rolling off of me in waves and I half thought about throwing myself from the cab until Daryl spoke up.

"Nothin' can kill Merle but Merle. He's the toughest son of a bitch I've ever met, give him a hammer and he'll shit out nails…" he trailed off and got quieter, "besides he'd want me to get you out of there."

That horrible feeling of being forgotten washed over me again for the first time in years as I kept my eyes straight in front of me, "Should've thought about that a few months ago."

"What?" he questioned glancing over to me for a few seconds before returning his eyes to the road.

"Nothing," I muttered taking the gun out of the small of my back and laying it on the seat so I could get more comfortable.

Daryl looked at the gun, "Where's you get that from?"

"It's the ol' mans," I answered, closing for a minute and swallowing hard to forget the day I had come looking for my brothers in our old home.

"Dale's?" he questioned in disbelief.

I shook my head, "Dad's."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with the Walking Dead only Daisy (Ace) belongs to me.**

**Sorry for the length but I wanted to give you something!**

**Any suggestions/comments/critiques are all welcome!**

Chapter 5

A wave of realization seemed to crash over Daryl and I saw him grip the steering wheel a little tighter. "You went home?"

"I was looking for you and Merle," I answered truthfully as I stared out the windshield. I tried to keep the anger out of my voice but it wasn't working. The feeling of being left alone in the hysteria that had broken out was almost more than I could handle back then. Somewhere along the way I learned to pull myself up by the bootstraps and keep going.

I chanced a quick glance over at Daryl and saw him chewing on the skin around his thumb nail. It used to be something he would do when he wasn't sure what to say or was uncomfortable in a situation but now I think he did it out of pure habit. There was something in his eyes though that I hadn't seen in years; guilt.

The way our relationship was though that would be all that was said on the topic of home. I had given him my little jabs about how I expected him to be there, he had in his Daryl way acknowledged it and now it was done. We never spent time on the issues that ran deep in our family instead we pushed them down and spewed sarcasm to the world.

Riding in the truck with him I felt more at home than I had in a long time and I even raised my hand to the radio to fill the silence that had fallen between us before realizing how naïve the thought was. When we were on the back roads of Georgia it was easy to forget the tragedy going on around us. The sun shone brightly in front of us and the leaves on the trees swayed slightly with the warm breeze painting a false hope that everything really would be alright.

I tried to keep the grimace off my face as the pounding in my head intensified. Apparently, my migraines didn't care that we were in the midst of an apocalypse and I needed to stay sharp.

It was no use and Mr. Observant hit me on the side of the leg with the back of his hand and then motioned to the glove box, "Got Merle's stash."

***Flashback***

_Mr. Dixon was gone for the weekend with whoever the flavor of the week was leaving an eleven year old Daisy home in the care of her brothers. Daryl had gotten his first job working down at the junk yard. It wasn't much but it put money in his pocket and beer in his stomach. The only problem was that it meant he was gone from sun up to sun down._

_Merle had a few friends over Saturday evening and instead of being the big brother he was supposed to be he let Daisy hang around guys almost ten years older than her. It was a long couple hours of drinking and drugs but Merle eventually made it to his room to pass out for while. Daisy being the curious, still innocent, little girl that she was wanted to be just like the brothers that she idolized. She found the vial of powder that had been left on the table and poured it out on the plate like she had seen Merle do it. She stared at it for a minute not knowing what to do next, figuring it was like sugar she licked her finger and pressed it into the powder before putting it in her mouth. _

_Daisy shivered when the foul tasting powder hit her tongue but if Merle could do it she could too. So she ate the powder, imaging it was sugar, until it was all gone._

_Daryl pulled up to the house exhausted and ready for bed. He'd put in a long day at the junk yard with Georgia sun beating down on him. He opened the front door and strolled through. A scoff escaped his lips as he saw the living room still littered with empty bottles and half smoked cigarettes. He would deal with it in the morning though right now all he wanted to do was to pass out. That was until a little voice stopped him._

"_D'?"_

_He tried hard to suppress the groan and annoyance in his voice but after the day he had he ended up snapping anyways. "What?" It wasn't until he turned to face his sister that he started worrying something was wrong. Had their dad come home sooner than planned? And better yet, where was Merle? She was leaning against the couch an arm wrapped tightly around her middle with a grimace on her face. He took a few tentative steps forward, "Ace, you a'right?"_

"_I don't feel good," she confessed her voice cracking slightly as she held her tears in. That was a lesson she had too recently learned; Dixons didn't cry._

_Daryl couldn't put his finger on it but there was something telling him this wasn't just a stomach bug that she picked up at school. Merle wasn't there for his brother like he should have been and Daryl made a promise to himself he wouldn't let Daisy down in the same way._

"_Did ya eat?" Daryl questioned and watched as she slowly shook her head with her gaze focused on the floor. He took another step closer and put his finger under her chin so she had no choice but to look at him._

_He didn't even have to say anything as a dam opened up and she spilled her secrets, "It only made Merle go to sleep, I didn't mean to, I didn't know it would make me sick. I thought it was sugar!"_

***Present***

"I'd rather sleep it off," I sighed putting my feet up on the seat and using my over shirt as a pillow against the door.

Daryl grunted in response, "Don't be snoring or I'll leave your ass on the side of the road."

His empty threat was ignored and I dozed off listening to the gentle rumble of the truck. I jolted awake when I heard the driver's side door of the truck being closed. My hand automatically finding its way to my father's gun though it would do little good with no bullets. The more I woke up the more aware I became that we weren't in any immediate danger. In fact it looked as it they were having some big powwow on the side of the road. I slid my arms through my over shirt and made my way over to see what was going on but before I even reached the group I passed Shane who was sitting on the bumper of the RV with gun in hand.

"Stupid girl," he muttered as I passed him. I should have kept walking, just bit my tongue and let the comment roll off my shoulders, but I was a Dixon.

I spun around on the pads of my feet and walked over so I was standing right in front of him. "Got something you need to say there officer?"

"Yeah, I do," he nodded rising to his feet not liking that I had been towering over him even if it was for a brief moment. "You're the reason we had to leave camp. How does it feel to be responsible for your brother's death?" I swallowed hard but otherwise didn't show that what he was saying was getting under my skin. "If you didn't so carelessly shoot that gun off the walkers wouldn't have been drawn to the camp."

"Maybe you shouldn't have been running your fucking mouth giving me a reason too," I sneered, not willing to back down.

He gave me a look that I was unable to read, "Maybe if you didn't have a strung out brother he'd have been there to protect you."

"I don't need _anyone_ protecting me," I crossed my arms over my chest and stuck my hip out slightly. "You, however, I should have let become walker food."

Shane's expression never changed as he rested his gun on his shoulder and readjusted his hat. "Every death that occurred back at camp is on you. Every sister, father, husband and friend that was killed is on you."

"I forgot," I huffed and tilted my head to block the sun from my eyes. "It was me that released this virus among the people. My bad, won't happen again."

He wasn't too thrilled of my sarcastic way of dealing with things. "You need to watch yourself Dixon," he warned with a smirk.

"Newsflash, you're not a cop here, not in this new world we are calling home. What are you going to do? Handcuff me? Arrest me? Throw me in jail?" I listed off. Merle had indirectly taught me to stand up for myself while Daryl had been more hands on making sure I could defend myself if need be. I knew if it came down to it I would be able to hold my own, at least for awhile.

Daryl had made his way over to us at some point and had cleared his throat giving Shane a look almost challenging him to do something. He just shook his head and leaned over to whisper in my ear, "Better watch your back Dixon. One brother down, one to go."

Everyone was getting back in their vehicles and as I pulled myself into the front seat of the truck Shane winked at me before closing the door of the RV. Daryl started the truck up and again we were off.

"Only took the world going to shit for you to get a mouth on ya," Daryl commented.

I shrugged, "It was bound to happen eventually. I am a Dixon after all."

It wasn't until we drove up a little that I saw one of the men from camp leaning against a tree. I kept my gaze out the window and bit the inside of my cheek. Just another person to add to my tally of death's that I was responsible for.


End file.
